State overcame hurdles by mopping up tax and non-tax revenues: Balagopal

Finance Minister K.N. Balagopal discusses Kerala's rising tax revenues, job opportunities, and government initiatives at a public event.

Finance Minister K.N. Balagopal said here on Tuesday (May 13, 2025) that the total tax and non-tax revenues were expected to cross ₹1 lakh crore at the end of the current fiscal.

The total tax and non-tax revenues increased from ₹54,000 crore in the 2020-21 financial year to ₹95,000 crore this fiscal. “The tax revenue when the Left Democratic Front (LDF) came to power was ₹47,000 crore. It has now gone up to about ₹81,000 crore,” he said in his inaugural address at the complaint redressal adalat held in the Kalamassery Assembly constituency.

He added that the government did not increase the prices of liquor, despite it being a key revenue source as it might lead to an increase in the use of narcotic substances. The government ensured efficiency across various sectors and it helped overcome the various hurdles, he said.

Mr. Balagopal said Kerala would turn into one of the top attractive job destinations in the country in the next 10 years in view of infrastructure and other development projects initiated by the government.

The Minister said the two installments of social security and welfare fund board pensions would be released after May 20. There would be no going back on welfare pension for the needy as the government was committed to such schemes, he added.

P. Rajeeve, Minister for Industries and MLA representing the Kalamassery constituency, said waste dumps in the municipality were turned into public spaces through the ‘waste-free’ campaign of the government. Hundreds of job opportunities had been created through the government’s ‘Knowledge Kerala’ project, he added.

Various complaints submitted by the public were taken up at the adalat. The Minister directed the authorities to take immediate action to ensure access to Jessy Scaria, a resident of TOG Pass Road, who alleged that her neighbour had curtailed vehicular access to the nearby renovated municipal road by dumping scrap materials and waste. She also submitted evidence to prove her claim. Over 150 complaints out of the around 200 received were resolved at the adalat. It included issues related to allotment of title deeds, land conversion and ration cards, according to a release.